How the tide turned in the Ryan Day era.
With his background as an offensive and quarterback guru, it seemed a guarantee that Ohio State would always have an elite offense during his first four years as head coach. It was the defense in particular that cost the Buckeyes their biggest losses in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
In 2023, Ohio State was a team driven by its defense. The defense ranked 2nd in scoring, 3rd in yards per game, 1st in passing and 29th in running. The offense ranked 46th, 48th, 31st and 88th in the same categories.
The Buckeyes responded by stocking up on offensive talent in the transfer portal, bringing in quarterback Will Howard from Kansas State, quarterback Julian Sayin and center Seth McLaughlin from Alabama, running back Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss and tight end Will Kacmarek from Ohio State to either fill or support key positions on offense. Day has stepped into the role of play-caller for the first time in his career and has brought in an established offensive mastermind and his personal mentor in former UCLA head coach Chip Kelly to coordinate the attack.
Howard has been named the team’s starting quarterback. His potential and the development of the offensive line will determine how much the Buckeyes can utilize the elite weapons they have in Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson at running back and Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss and Jeremiah Smith at wide receiver.
Let’s break it all down in our season preview of Ohio State’s offense in 2024.
The stars
Emeka Egbuka
There will always be hype around shiny new players like Ohio State has with Inniss, Tate and Smith at receiver, but one of the best in the country returned for his senior year in Egbuka and will be a focal point of the offense. Injuries cut his production in half last season, but in 2022 he posted 74 receptions for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns with two rushing scores.
TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins
The only question regarding Ohio State’s top running backs is how exactly the Buckeyes will split the runs between their two superstars. Judkins has two 1,100-yard rushing seasons and was twice selected to the All-SEC first team. Henderson posted at least 160 combined rushing and receiving yards in three separate games after returning from injury in 2023 and has emerged as a leader this offseason, earning him captaincy.
“We’ve helped each other and strengthened each other,” Henderson said Aug. 7. “The most important thing is that God has helped me love him. And whatever I can do to encourage him to do that, I’m willing to do that.”
Donovan Jackson
Ohio State needs Jackson to be a star in 2024 and show a little more consistency than he did in 2023. At his best, he can be one of the best offensive players in the country, but there are still some lapses from last season that need to be addressed. The two-time All-Big Ten first-team selection will be the leader of an offensive line hoping for a renaissance.
The X-factors
Brandon Inniss
Any wide receiver not named Emeka Egbuka could fit in here, but Inniss’ blend of explosive athleticism, agility, and ability to make an impact in the return game, combined with an unclear exact role, make him an ideal X-factor candidate.
“I’m definitely going to score a touchdown,” Inniss said on Aug. 9 when asked about punt returns. “I’m going to score one this year.”
Josh Fryar
The Buckeyes’ right tackle earned the team’s best run-blocking grade last year, with a grade of 76, according to Pro Football Focus. He still needed to improve further, namely in pass blocking, as he allowed five sacks and struggled against some of the faster speed rushers he faced on the outside. His improvement is a key factor in the overall development of the offensive line.
Jelani Thurman
Ohio State’s talented sophomore tight end might be behind Gee Scott Jr. and Will Kacamarek in the rankings, but he could have the most playmaking potential of the three. Tight end is one of the most developing positions in football, and Thurman still needs to prove himself as a blocker to see the field more consistently, but if he can do that, he could provide a great change of pace for Howard on passing attempts.
The questions
How well can Will Howard stretch the defense vertically?
Howard can run the ball; his sprint speed was measured at 22 miles per hour. Howard has experience, having played 34 games at Kansas State, which should allow him to make good decisions. His knowledge of the game system appears to be at the level needed, but Ohio State’s offense can only reach its maximum potential if he can get the ball up front to his elite wide receivers and spread the defense vertically to open up other areas of the offense. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is among those who believe he can do that, but the issues with accuracy up front that arose in the spring are still in the back of mind when discussing Howard.
“He makes all the throws,” Knowles said. “He’s in the pocket, he’s got great vision and strong arms. We have great receivers, he throws the ball where only the receiver can catch it. So for me it’s not just the arm strength, but he makes the pinpoint passes.”
How will Ohio State use its tight ends?
Scott, Kacmarek and Thurman all bring different skill sets to Ohio State at the tight end position. Kacmarek has the best reputation as a blocker, Scott is the veteran of the room with a receiver background and Thurman’s strengths were discussed above. The Buckeyes have used a lot of 12-players in the past and Kelly is known to use two or three tight ends fairly often, but who plays most often and in what packages with the litany of receiver talent the Buckeyes have will be an interesting strategic trend to track.
Attack line, attack line, attack line
Having been dissected, analyzed and questioned all offseason, now it’s time for Ohio State’s offensive line to prove it can actually grow in 2023, despite being the team’s Achilles heel for a year. Jackson and Fryar will be important parts of that, but so will McLaughlin and left tackle Josh Simmons after some outstanding performances in training camp. Perhaps most important will be who wins the competition for right guard between Tegra Tshabola and Carson Hinzman.
“The O-line was the area we focused on,” Day said at Big Ten Media Days. “After the summer, their bodies look different… They look good. Mick (Marotti) did a great job with them. They had a good summer, but we know how important that is. This team is going to develop as the offensive line develops. This team is going to develop as the defensive line develops. So we know how important the offensive line is going to be.”
“This team will operate the way the offensive line operates.”– Ryan Day
Spotlight newcomer
Jeremiah Smith
Here’s a rare first-year player who has a good chance of being included in the “X-Factors” or even “Stars” section of this preview. Smith is the best recruit, not to mention the best receiver, in the 2024 recruiting class and certainly the best freshman to watch for the Buckeyes this year. He could put up numbers rarely seen from a freshman. He’s already set a record for the earliest black stripe removed and was the first freshman ever named an “Iron Buckeye” by the team’s strength and conditioning staff.
Overall outlook
Day said it this summer: This offense will run like the offensive line. They have at least a steady hand with good rushing skills at the quarterback level to direct an orchestra of weapons at running back and wide receiver. Kelly is known for getting the most out of a run game no matter what’s up front, and Henderson and Judkins are as good a tandem as there is in the backfield. Blocking at the tight end position will also help, but Kacmarek should provide some solutions once he moves.
If Ohio State’s offensive line can do its job up front, the Buckeyes’ offense should once again be one of the best in college football in 2024.
